Nemam kopiju, pa idem u fotokopirnicu pokraj trga da fotokopiram dokumente.

I don’t have a copy, so I go to the copy shop next to the square to photocopy the documents.

Breakdown of Nemam kopiju, pa idem u fotokopirnicu pokraj trga da fotokopiram dokumente.

• imati: to have
• ne: not
• ići: to go
• trg: square
• u: to/into
• dokument: document
• pa: so/then
• kopija: copy
• fotokopirnica: copy shop
• pokraj: next to/beside
• da: so that/to
• fotokopirati: to photocopy

Questions & Answers about Nemam kopiju, pa idem u fotokopirnicu pokraj trga da fotokopiram dokumente.

Why does the sentence start with Nemam? What verb is that?

Nemam is the 1st person singular present of imati (to have) in the negative:

• imam = I have
• nemam = I don’t have
  So Nemam kopiju literally means I don’t have a copy.

Is kopiju the only correct form after nemam, or could it be something else?

Both are possible in Croatian:

• Nemam kopiju. (accusative; very common and neutral)
• Nemam kopije. (genitive; also common, often sounds a bit more “partitive”: I don’t have any copy / I have no copy)
  In everyday speech you’ll hear both, and the difference is usually subtle.

What does pa mean here, and why is it used?

Pa is a connector meaning something like so / therefore / and (so) / then.
It links the reason and the result:

• Nemam kopiju, pa idem… = I don’t have a copy, so I’m going…

Why is it idem (present tense) if the meaning is “I’m going / I’m going to go”?

Croatian often uses the present tense to express a planned or immediate future, especially with verbs of movement:

• Idem u fotokopirnicu. can mean I’m going to the copy shop (now / shortly).
  Context supplies whether it’s “right now” or “soon”.

Why is it u fotokopirnicu and not u fotokopirnici?

Because u changes meaning depending on the case:

• u + accusative = movement into/to a place → u fotokopirnicu (to the copy shop)
• u + locative = location in a place → u fotokopirnici (in the copy shop)
  Here it’s movement (idem), so you need accusative.

What is fotokopirnica exactly? Is it a “photocopier” or a “copy shop”?

Fotokopirnica is the place/business: a copy shop / photocopy shop.
The machine itself would be fotokopirni stroj or simply kopirka (colloquial).

How does pokraj trga work grammatically?

Pokraj means next to / near / beside and it normally takes the genitive case.
So:

• pokraj
  • trg (square) → pokraj trga (near the square)
    Trg is masculine, and its genitive singular is trga.

Could I also say blizu trga instead of pokraj trga?

Yes, very often:

• blizu trga = near the square (also genitive after blizu)
  A rough nuance:
• pokraj can feel more like right next to
• blizu is more generally nearby

Why is there da before fotokopiram?

Da + present is a very common way to express purpose (similar to (in order) to in English):

• idem … da fotokopiram dokumente = I’m going … to photocopy the documents / in order to photocopy the documents
  Croatian typically does this instead of an English-style infinitive purpose clause.

Why is it dokumente and not dokumenti?

Because fotokopiram (I photocopy) is a transitive verb and needs a direct object in the accusative:

• nominative plural: dokumenti (documents as the subject)
• accusative plural: dokumente (documents as the object)
  So fotokopiram dokumente = I photocopy the documents.